At a meeting of the Health and Social Care Committee yesterday, March 25, 2024, MPs asked probing questions about cancer care in the UK.
Paulette Hamilton, MP for Birmingham Erdington, asked Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Victoria Atkins MP, if would reconsider a dedicated cancer control plan for the UK in light of long waits for treatment and diagnosis, a failure to meet targets and a rising number of cancer cases.
At present, cancer is covered by the Major Conditions Strategy, to be published later in the year.
Paul Bristow, MP for Peterborough, also asked the Secretary of State whether the Major Conditions Strategy was the right way to go, given widespread support from cancer experts for a dedicated cancer control plan.
The #CatchUpWithCancer campaign, founded in 2020, supports a dedicated national cancer control plan, and a body of experts to enact it and build accountability. Statistics from NHS England have consistently shown that around 4 in 10 cancer patients are still waiting too long for treatment.
